1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bicycle saddle having a plurality of shock-absorbing springs, more particularly to a bicycle saddle having a spring-tension-adjusting means.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known bicycle saddle comprises a rigid saddle body which has a front portion, an intermediate portion and a rear portion. The intermediate portion is formed with a generally rectangular opening that extends along the length of the saddle body, and a series of spring-retaining holes adjacent to the front and rear ends of the opening. The bicycle saddle further comprises a plurality of elongated coil springs, each of which has a first end secured to one of the retaining holes adjacent to the front end of the opening and a second end secured to one of the retaining holes adjacent the rear end of the opening. The coil springs serve to absorb shock which is generated when the bicycle saddle is in use.
My co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/306,996, which is assigned to SELLE TECH IND., CO., LTD. filed on Sep. 16, 1994, disclosed a bicycle saddle comprising a rigid saddle body, a rigid spring-retaining plate, and a plurality of elongated coil springs. The saddle body is formed as a loop member and has an opening formed therethrough. The periphery of the opening is formed with a plurality of spring-retaining holes. Also, the retaining plate is formed with a plurality of spring-retaining holes. Each of the coil springs has a first end secured to one of the retaining holes in the saddle body, and a second end secured to one of the retaining holes in the retaining plate. The coil springs extend radially in different directions from the retaining plate to the saddle body to enable the bicycle saddle to absorb shock in a plurality of directions.
Although the above-mentioned bicycle saddle can be used to absorb shock when the bicycle saddle is in use, the tension of the coil springs is fixed when the bicycle saddle is made. Therefore, the tension of the coil springs of the bicycle saddle cannot be adjusted in order to provide a proper shock-absorbing ability according to the weight of the riders.